Q:
I know this is simple, but I'm not even 1/2 way through my 3DS book yet and
I've got impatient.
When importing a path from, say the 2D Shaper to the keyframer (3DSR4), how
do I move it and scale it to the right position. All I can seem to do it
add and delete vertices.
A:
You can scale the path BEFORE importing it into the Keyframer.
You can display the objects in the 3D Editor (the state of Frame 0 in
the Keyframer) in the 3D Shaper to have a clue of their position.
To move an object with the whole path, press [Alt] when using
Modify/Move or Path/Move Key.
If you save periodically to disk, you can insert the path from the last
.3DS file saved - a kind of "undo path changes"... (you can actually
insert any path from any object from any .3DS file!)
After modifying a path in the Keyframer (adding, moving, deleting keys
etc.) you can get it back to the Shaper (if it is 2D) or into the Lofter
(2D and 3D path). There is a KXP IPAS for R3/4 that converts a KF path
into DXF. You can find it on Bobo's Rendert**ls:
http://www.archlab.tuwien.ac.at/w2561/ipas/KXPLIST.HTM
The KEYDXF.KXP was given to Public Domain by Enthed Animations.
Just click on an object, go back into Shaper or Lofter and load the DXF.
(But the path will have no curves :o(